Solar News Archive Texas 2017

 

Analyst estimates the Austin 150 MW solar contract is the lowest solar PPA price the U.S. has seen

Austin’s municipally owned utility, Austin Energy, did not offer exact details on the megawatt-hour price for the December solar agreement. However, based on some back-of-the-envelope calculations, GTM Research estimates the record low cost hovers between $23.50 and $27.25 per megawatt-hour. It could even be as low as $21 per megawatt-hour.

Austin City Council approves contract for 150 MW solar farm that will help deliver renewable power for over half of customers’ needs

Austin Energy currently produces enough renewable electricity to meet 40 percent of its 475,000 customers’ power needs. This latest December power purchase agreement of 150 MW from Intersect Power will increase Austin Energy’s utility scale solar capacity to 792 MW and is projected to have a beneficial impact on customer bills, according to pv magazine. Along with 1,400 MW of wind power, Austin Energy is expected to become 51 percent renewable in 2020.

El Paso Electric settlement slaps new solar customers with the highest minimum bill seen anywhere in the nation

This December pv magazine article indicates that the compromise approved by the Public Utilities Commission of Texas allows the utility to impose a $30 minimum bill on new customers – the highest seen to date anywhere in the nation. However, the plan grandfathers current solar customers for 20 years from having to pay the minimum bill. In addition, solar customers will not be slotted into a separate rate class.

Houston solar project produces two important “firsts” for Texas PACE financing

The Texas PACE Authority reports on the December closing of financing for a 45 kW solar power system for the Regency Inn & Suites in Houston. This is the first Texas hotel to utilize PACE financing and the first PACE solar project for the City of Houston. The availability of incentives and tax deductions are further motivating hotels around the country to invest in solar.

Large, 30-megawatt Texas project drives 3rd quarter U.S. storage surge

A December GTM Research report reveals that a Texas storage project dominated the 41.8 megawatts that power companies and utilities installed in the 3rd quarter, a 46 percent year-over-year surge. Prices for lithium-ion battery packs have fallen 24 percent from 2016 levels, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance.

Tariff threat puts $100 million solar farm near Fort Stockton on hold

With the final recommendations of the International Trade Commission just a few days away, this November pv magazine article reports that the contractor engaged to build the project has been told not to start construction until the price of modules has been clarified at the federal level. Although the project has not been canceled, a company spokesman has seen other projects canceled amid uncertainty surrounding module prices.

Have UT-Austin engineers discovered an important advance in Li-ion batteries?

Researchers in the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin have discovered a family of anode materials that can double the charge capacity of lithium-ion battery anodes — a breakthrough that may open the door to cheaper, smaller and lighter batteries. This October article states the process saves time and materials, producing an anode with twice the charge storage capacity of a typical lithium-ion battery anode, using only two simple steps instead of the multiple steps traditionally required.

Texas PUC to decide tricky market issue: should storage defer transmission?

Transmission provider AEP has proposed to defer transmission upgrades for less costly Li-ion battery storage, as reported in this October Utility Dive article. The case is specific to Texas, but the issue is shared in many states like Texas that operate both regulated and deregulated power markets. Energy storage is both load and generation, which creates tricky challenges for regulators.

Additional Texas coal plant retirements create more opportunity for solar

Luminant’s October announcements of the closure of two economically challenged power plants in Central Texas and another in northeast Texas will remove 4.1 GW of coal-powered capacity. This pv magazine article suggests the retirement of these plants bodes well for the state’s solar market. About 25 percent of the 24 GW of solar projects in the state’s interconnection queue are expected to be completed.

“Bizarre” Oncor proposal to penalize Texas solar customers finally withdrawn

A long and contentious rate case was finally settled in favor of solar customers, according to this October pv magazine article. Dallas-based utility Oncor agreed to withdraw its plan to add bizarre fixed charges and a byzantine rate structure to the bills of solar consumers. The utility did secure a 3.4% base rate increase for all residential ratepayers. Oncor serves 10 million customers in north and west Texas, including the Dallas/Ft. Worth metro area.

Texas enjoys strongest quarter ever, ranking second among states in installed solar capacity in second quarter 2017

Texas added 378 MW in 2Q17 in its strongest quarter ever, placing it second among states in installed solar capacity. Texas is also projected to be the second largest state over the next five years, according to this September Solar Industry magazine article. Solar ranked second to natural gas in the first half of 2017 in new electric capacity, registering 22 percent of the total.

PACE expands to Navarro County

In an unanimous decision, the Navarro County Commissioners Court enhanced its ability to attract new business in August when it approved a resolution establishing the Navarro County Pace Program, reports the Corsicana Daily Sun. The program allows industrial, commercial, or nonprofit businesses to lower their operating costs with 100% financing for energy and water efficiency improvements.

El Paso Electric proposes new rate schedule that blocks solar growth

This July pv magazine article discusses a discriminatory El Paso Electric rate proposal for solar system owners. Customers with solar panels will suddenly be hit with a higher monthly customer charge, as well as a new charge, a demand charge. Last year, a similar proposal by the investor owned utility was rejected.

City of San Antonio adopts SolarHost program on municipal buildings

The City Council has decided to host solar on 5 city buildings under the CPS Energy SolarHost program. According to this July pv magazine article, the City will receive a 3¢ per kWh credit for the solar energy produced, saving almost $12,000 each year. PowerFin Partner installs and maintains the systems at no cost to the city.

Fort Hood wind and solar hybrid microgrid to save taxpayers $168 million

Fifteen-plus MW of on-base solar and 50 MW of wind, the first hybrid renewable project to serve the U.S. Army, was put in service in June at Fort Hood, north of Killeen. Investorideas.com notes the system design includes microgrid-ready capabilities, providing the ultimate energy security of independence from the grid, as the military leads the march toward energy independence.

Garland municipal utility taps into west Texas solar facility

As the latest development in the boom taking place across Texas, Southern Company announced the commissioning of the 102 MW Lamesa solar plant, according to this May pv magazine article. ERCOT had previously listed Lamesa as one of 19 solar projects with interconnection agreements and anticipates 879 MW of utility-scale solar will come online this year.

San Antonio wins SolSmart award for supportive solar program adoption

The City of San Antonio announced in May that it, and CPS Energy, San Antonio’s municipally owned utility, have been selected for national recognition for programs and practices that make it faster, easier, and cheaper to go solar. A SolSmart designation is a signal that the community is “open for solar business,” helping to attract solar industry investment and generate economic development and local jobs.

ERCOT projects Texas solar to contribute to meeting peak summer demand amid fossil fuel retirements

Texas solar is beginning to move the ERCOT needle, according to this May pv magazine article. After hitting a record peak demand last August of over 71 GW, ERCOT is planning for 73 GW of capacity for summer 2017. Of this, utility-scale solar is expected to provide 603 MW, a small but growing contribution. ERCOT expects another 879 MW of solar PV will come online in 2017 and 976 MW by next summer.

New Toyota headquarters in Plano installing 8.79 MW solar carport structure

Over 20,000 SunPower 20-percent efficient E-Series solar panels are being installed in April on steel carport structures at the new Toyota North America headquarters in Plano, Clean Technology Business Review reports. The facility will be the largest Texas corporate office on-site solar installation, among non-utility companies, and will provide approximately 33% of the headquarters’ energy needs.

San Antonio auto plant hosts one-half acre solar facility

CPS Energy, Toyota and PowerFin Partners teamed up to debut a half-acre solar facility at the San Antonio auto plant in early April, as per the San Antonio Business Journal. The SolarHostSA program allows residents and businesses to get solar panels installed for free and credits on their electric bill in exchange for leasing their rooftop or acreage to the program. Toyota expects to save $15,000 per year.

Austin brings on more solar energy

Approximately 1.2 million solar panels officially came online today, according to this April 5 announcement by Southern Company. The East Pecos solar facility will provide Austin Energy 120 MW of solar power via a 15-year Power Purchase Agreement. The facility supplements the 158 MW Roserock solar farm inaugurated in December, bringing Austin one step closer to its target of 55 percent renewable energy by 2025. You can view in real-time Austin’s renewable power generation.

Oncor proposes bizarre fixed charges for solar customers

Serving 10 million customers in north and west Texas, including the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, Oncor has proposed a weird mix of demand charges and fixed charges for its residential PV customers, according to pv magazine. This March Madness intended to stop distributed solar with rate design is the latest utility incursion into territory that regulators tend to forbid.

Google’s “Project Sunroof” finds Houston is top U.S. city in energy potential

With an estimated 18,940 gigawatt-hours of rooftop solar generation potential per year, Houston leads the nation according to a March 14 analysis. The Houston Business Journal reports that Google calculated how much solar power could be collected if rooftop solar panels were installed at more than 60 million buildings nationally. San Antonio ranked fourth among cities with the most solar potential.

City of Houston to increase solar energy purchases by two-thirds

On February 22 the Houston City Council voted to increase the size of its power purchase agreement with a solar farm near Alpine from 30 to 50 megawatts in return for an 8 percent price reduction for each kilowatt-hour purchased. With 10.5 percent of the City’s electricity needs now powered by solar, Houston leads all municipal governments in the U.S. for such purchases.

Solar rebate extension announced by San Antonio municipal utility

Under a renewed rebate plan, the San Antonio Business Journal reports that CPS Energy set aside $15 million for residential and commercial solar projects. Beginning February 3rd, the utility will rebate 60¢ per watt to promote rooftop solar and an additional 8¢ per watt for modules made by local manufacturer Mission Solar Energy. Inverters made locally by KACO new energy will receive another 2¢ per watt rebate.

First small commercial retailer in Texas closes on PACE financing

A Bryan family-owned retailer, RDM Pros, became the first business in Brazos county and the first retailer in Texas to use PACE. The loan will finance a 20.8 kilowatt solar system and other efficiency upgrades. This project represents an inflection point in the Texas PACE program, as small retail properties make up 99% of commercial buildings in Texas, according to this January pv magazine article.

Mission Solar Energy announces 2nd round of San Antonio layoffs

As CPS Energy is nearing completion of the build-out of its west Texas solar farms, their supplier, Mission Solar Energy, has turned its attention to selling modules to the residential and commercial markets.  The exact number of layoffs will be not be made public until February 3, 2017, according to the San Antonio Business Journal.

Hayes County connects with PACE

Ringing in the 2017 new year, Hays County joins Travis and Williamson counties to form a three-county central Texas PACE region. Businesses and non-profits in communities including Buda, Dripping Springs, Kyle, and San Marcos can now access property-assessed clean energy financing.

 

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